Apparatus for making hollow rubber articles.



H. R. STRAUSS. APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLLOW RUBBER ARTICLES. APPLICATION FILED NOV.2,1914,

1,18%,599, Patented May 9,1916.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented May 9, 1916.

Application filed November 2, 1914. Serial No. 869.724.

To (ZZZ whom if; m my concern.

Be it known that I, HERBERT R. STRAUSS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland Heights, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Hollow Rubber A1 t-icles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is.to provide a simple, efficient and rapid apparatus for making inflated rubber articles.

My apparatus is designed for carrying out the process covered in application No. 793,025 of Fred Thomas Roberts, comprising the bringing together of semi-cured parts of an article in an atmosphere of compressed finid and holding the article with such fluid imprisoned within itduring completion of the curing.

My apparatus preferably comprises an air compressor having an openable compression chamber and a pair of mold plates having coacting cavities shaped according to the article to be produced, and adapted to be placed in said chamber and automatically brought together at a time when the desired air pressure has been attained within the compressor.

Further characteristics of my apparatus are hereinafter more fully explained in connection with the description of an illustrative embodiment thereof set out in the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of my apparatus; Fi 2 is a vertical central section at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the upper mold plate; Fig. i is a side elevation of the two mold plates together; Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the two mold plates at one of the mold cavities; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an inflated inside heel pad produced by the particular apparatus shown.

As shown in the drawings, the two mold plates 1 and 2 are disks having respectively the cavities 3 and 4. When the plates are in contact, the combined cavity is the shape of the exterior of the article to be produced. In the specific instance shown the article produced is an inner heel pad A (Figs. 5 and 6). though this shape is chosen simply bv way of illustration. It may be seen from 7 Figs. and 3 that there are a number of cavities in the plates arranged about a center. The lower plate is shown as carrying a central upright stud 5 having a feather along its side, and the upper plate hasa corresponding opening whereby the plates areguided one on the other and are kept in registration.

Means are provided for holding the two mold plates in contact when brought together, the means shown consisting of spring catches 7 secured to the plate 1 and having pivoted noses S adapted to stand in corresponding notches 9 in the plate 2 and support its weight, as shown in Fig. 2, but allowing the upper plate 2 to be forced downwardly into contact with the lower plate, whereupon the noses of the catches will return over the top of the upper plate and lock it securely to the lower plate, as shown in Fig. 4.

The air compressor of this invention is designed to receive a separated automatically locking mold, as above described, in a closed compression chamber, and then, when the proper pressure has been attained in that chamber to force the upper plate into contact with the lower so that it becomes automatically locked thereto, causing the juxtaposed halves of the hollow articles to retain air within them. The preferred form of compressing mechanism is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and will now be described.

10 indicates an upright cylinder tightly connected at its lower end with abase 11. Slidable within this cylinder and making an air tight connection with its wall is a piston 13. This pistonis adapted to be reciprocated in the cylinder, while always leaving an air chamber below it, by mechanism mounted above and supported by the cylinder wall. As shown, the driving mechanism consists of a double crank 15, the shaft 16 of which has hearings in a frame 17 se cured to the upper end of the cylinder, the crank pin of the crank being connected with the piston by a connecting rod 181 Suitable mechanism is provided to turn the crank in either direction to raise or lower the piston, as desired. The mechanism shown consists of a worm wheel 20 on the crank shaft meshing with a worm 21 one shaft 22, on which is a tight pulley 23 and two loose pulleys 24 and 25, a straight belt 26 and a cross belt 27, normally running on the respective loose pulleys. By shifting one or the other belt onto the tight pulley 23 the crank shaft is shown turned in the direction desired, thus raising or lowering the piston.

30 indicates a suitable door, by the removal of which the mold plates above de scribed may be inserted into the chamber beneath the plunger. This door is shown as an arcual plate adapted to rest snugly against the outside of the wall 10 and held thereto by suitable catches 32 having cam faces on their inner sides and adapted to be forced 'around over the edge of the door. Resting on the base 11 is a suitable support 33 for themold plates, preferably having a pad 34 on which the lower plate rests and.

which is provided with a depression'35 for centering the mold plates by a projecting end of the stud 5. This pad 35 may be elastic to allow a slight downward movement of the plates, preventing injury to theparts when the plates are piston. Formed on the lower face of the piston 13 is an annular boss 19'designed to abut the upper moldv plate 2 and force it downwardly into closed position while clearing the stud 5.

40, in Fig. 2, indicates an intake pipe for the air chamber beneath the'piston, there being an inwardly opening check valve 41' on this pipe.

42 indicates a pipe leading to a pressure gage 43. On a T of this pipe is an adjustable relief valve 44 which may be of the pop safety valve type.

In operating the apparatus described, the articles to' be inflated are first molded in semi-cured pairs, and these parts are placed in the cavities of respectively; then the plate 2-is turned upside down and placed on the stud 5 and supported by the noses of the spring catches 7.

Now, with the plunger in an upper part of the cylinder 10 and the door 30 removed, the mold plates, in the separated condition in Fig. 2, are shoved edgewise through the doorway onto the support 33, being centered by the depression 35, receiving the stud 5. Then the door is put in place and latched tight, as shown in Fig. 1. Then the proper belt is shifted onto the tight pulley 23 to lower the piston. As the piston is lowered, the air beneath it is compressed by it. The parts are so proportioned that the desired pressure is obtained just as or before the boss 48 contacts with the plate 2. Then the continued downward movement of the plunger forces the plate 2 downwardly into contact with the plate 1 and the spring catches hold it there.

It is desirable to raise the piston to different heights, which, when compressed, will produce the pressure required for the particular article being treated. As a means for conveniently judging the height of the piston within the cylinder, I have shown a weight 45, guided forced together by the the mold plates 1 and 2' drawing in an. amount of air by vertical ribs 46 on the outside of the cylthe tight pulley 23. To lower the piston, the

belt 26 is shifted onto the tight pulley (as shown in Fig. 1) by a longitudinally shiftable bar 54, shown as slidably mounted in a bracket 55 carried by the frame member 17, and having a suitable handle 56. It is desirable that this belt should be automatically shifted onto the loose pulley just as the piston forces the plates together. As a means for, accomplishing this I have shown a latch dog 58, adapted to engage a notch in the bar 54, thereby holding the belt 23 on the tight pulley against the action of a spring'59, surrounding the bar and abutting a collar 60, rigid on the bar. This spring tends to shift the bar to the left, in Fig. 1. As the piston comes to the lower end of the stroke, a pin 62, carried by the gear 20, engages the tail of the dog 58, drawing notch in the bar and allowing the spring to shift the belt onto the loose pulley. The piston is then raised by shifting the belt 27 onto the tight pulley as described, the door 30 removed, and the plates with their inflated hollow articles are removed and transferred to a suitable vulcanizer, where the parts are vulcanized into place. Other plates are then placed in the cylinder, the door replaced as shown, and the piston started downwardly by manually moving the bar 54 to the right until latched by the dog, thereby compressing the spring and shifting its belt onto the tight pulley. By allowing the piston to travel higher in the cylinder greater air pressure is obtained and it 1s only necessary in operation to movethe piston high enough so that the air is compressed to at least the desired any excess is relieved by the adjustable relief valve 44. On the other hand, the reduction of pressure on raising the piston cannot continue below atmospheric pressure, on acount of the inwardly opening check valve 41.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An apparatus for making inflated articles comprising air compressing mechanism and a separable mold adapted to 00- cupy the air chamber of the compressing mechanism and be automatically closed and locked closed within the same.

An apparatus for making inflated articles comprising'air compressing mechapressure, as

ton recedes.

nism and a separable mold adapted to occupy the air chamber thereof and be auto matically closed and locked closed by the. operation of the compressing mechanism.

3. The combination, with a cylinder and piston providing a compression chamber, of a separable mold adapted to occupy such member, with the mold members held apart, means for closing the mold while withinan atmosphere of air compressed by the piston,

and means for automatically locking the M mold closed.

4. The combination, with a cylinder and a separable mold adapted to stand within an air chamber forming an extension of the cylinder, means operate by the movement of the piston for closing the mold, and automatically acting means for holding the mo 5. The combination, with a cylinder and piston, of an air chamber in communication with the cylinder, a closable side doorway into the air chamber beneath the piston, a separable mold adapted to be inserted into-the air chamber through said doorway, and automatic means for closing the mold within said chamber and locking it closed until after its removal.

6. The combination, with a cylinder and piston, of an air chamber in communication with the cylinder. a closable doorway into the air chamber, a separable mold adapted to be inserted in the air chamber through said doorway, means operated by the piston for closing the mold, and a latching device carried by the mold and adapted to retain the mold closed when the piston recedes.

7. The combination of a cylinder, a piston, means for reciprocating the piston within the cylinder, there being an air chamber beyond the piston forming a continuation of the cylinder, a closable doorway through the side of said air chamber beyond the piston, and a separable mold adapted to be inserted into the air chamber through the doorway.

S. The combination of an upright casing, a doorway into the lower portion of the casing. a piston slidable in the upper portion of the casing, a separable mold adapted to be inserted through the doorway, a support for the mold within the casing, and means on the lower side of the piston for closing the mold.

9. The combination of an upright casing, a closable doorway into the lower portion of the casing, a piston slidable in the upper portion of the casing, a pair of superimposed separable mold plates adapted to be ld closed when the pisinserted through the doorway, a support for the lower mold plate within the casing, and means on the lower side of the piston for abutting the upper mold plate to close the mold.

10. The combination, with a casing having a compression chamber, of a piston, means for reciprocating it in the casing to compress air, a two:part mold adapted to be inserted in the compression chamber comprising a pair of mold plates having coacting cavities, and a latch carried by one plate and adapted to engage the other to hold the plates together.

11. The combination, with a casing having a compression chamber, of a piston, meansfor reciprocating it in the casing to compress air, a two-part mold adapted to be... inserted in the compression chamber comprising a pair of mold plates having coacting cavities, a latch carried by one plate and adapted to engage the other to hold the plates together, and means on side of the piston adapted to engage the upper plate and force it down into contact with the lower. v

12. In an apparatus for making hollow rubber articles, the combination of two mold plates having coacting cavities, a latch carried by one plate and adapted to engage the other to lock the plates together, an air chamber, and means for forcing the plates together within the air chamber.

13. The combination of a pair of mold plates, spring latches secured to one plate and adapted to spring over the other plate and hold them together, said latches belng adapted to support the upper plate when separated from the lower, an air chamber adapted to contain saidplates, and means for forcing the plates together within the air chamber.

14-. The combination of a pair of mold plates, spring latches secured to one plate and adapted to spring over the other plate and hold them together, said latches being adapted to support the upper plate when separated from the lower, an air chamber adapted to contain said plates, a cylinder in communication with the air chamber, a piston reciprocating in the cylinder, and an abutment on the piston adapted to engage one of the mold plates to force it against the other.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. HERBERT RALPH STRAUSS. Witnesses:

Fnnn T. ROBERTS, IRA F. SMITH.

the under 

